“Narati,” started Tulis. “I understand if you can never forgive me for betraying your trust, but I can never disobey my queen’s order. If she demands your presence, then you must be present.”

“Yet you still traumatize me by almost suffocating me,” said Narati coldly. “Your queen may have given an order, but that is not an excuse for making me relive the worst moments of my life.”

“That’s….” Tulis let out a sigh. “That’s my fault.”

“Is that how you usually treat your hostages? Torturing them and see them break? To be honest with you, when I saw the way you handled Karkas, I was concerned. I could not consider a person like that a friend. But I am not the kind of person who judges by appearance. I never thought how wrong I am.”

Narati’s cold, monotone voice saddened Tulis, though it was hard for her to convey this feeling to the Fa’ar. Despite her kind, Tulis was sympathetic towards others, something that the rest of the Mygaleans lacked due to their isolation. Even after Narati’s explosive anger, they were unsympathetic, dismissing his rants as empty threats, knowing that all they need to do to shut the annoying rat was to stuff him mouth with webs. Tulis never thought about it before, but when they defended their actions for their mistrust against outsiders, it disgusted her.

Sympathetic to Narati’s plight, and the way his friendly attitude changed, Tulis asked, “Who betrayed you, if I may ask? Have you taken your revenge on them?”

Narati scoffed. “Oh, you think I had a history with someone, like Karkas. I never had that chance. To retaliate, I mean. They…broke me before I could do anything rash. Even the person I relied on sold me out. He got his comeuppance. He never got to remind himself in the mirror that, no matter how hard you try to convince others, you are still a duplicitous rat. So, instead of getting the reward he thought he deserved, he got the end of the blade. In a way, I envied him. He died too quickly. Maybe that's his complicated way of committing suicide. Me? What do you think?”

“You suffered like a pet of an unpleasant owner,” said another voice. “Harsh, but true.”

The voice belonged to the Mygalean in red silk dress. Tulis lowered her head in respect of the queen, at least until the queen said, “Come on, Tulis. Nobody’s here. I made them promise not to eavesdrop using any strings. You don’t need to be so formal in front of our guest here.”

“Yes, my queen…I mean, Rachna,” said Tulis, who dropped her formal attitude.

Rachna turned her attention to Narati, who was still forced to kneel with his arms behind his back. The queen in red promptly slashed the webs forcing him to kneel, but not the ones restraining his arms.

“I can’t risk you throttling me like you did your so-called friend,” said Rachna, referring to Tulis. “It’s a rather unusual pairing, a Fa’ar and a Mygalean. Unfortunately, we both have experienced the darkness that had taken over the rest of the world. I personally have not suffered the same way as you, but there are many ways for one to understand it."

“And that gives you the right to say such poisonous words?”

“Yes, because it is the truth,” asserted Rachna. “And I can easily tell how keeping it in you makes you feel like you are the center of the world, to be sympathized with by those who cared. That can get old rather quickly, Narati Vasra. Especially for a kind who gets to live a short life. You said it yourself, don't you, about the mirror? Maybe you should try doing so yourself if you are able to curse the one who betrayed you."

Narati was seething, but deep down, he knew the queen was right. She was the first person who understood his plight, but instead of sympathizing with him, she mocked him for asking for kindness that, while well-deserving, could end up backfiring if he continued to become too comfortable with that kind of attention. In fact, the way she turned his own words against him was an unexpected move, but not entirely wrong, either."

“And you may deny it,” said Rachna. “But sooner or later, you will find that not everyone is going to see you as a boy who had been through too many traumas. They cannot see into your heart. They see your actions. Perhaps you hide it behind a violent attitude. No matter your past, this world will only see you as a threat instead of a victim. This is a selfish world, one where it’s easier to dispose of broken things than to fix them. You are fortunate to have found friends. Otherwise, where would you be now?"

“I….” Narati lowered his head. Her words were harsh, but she was right. Realizing that his cold response against his friend was undeserving, as she couldn’t say no, Narati turned to Tulis and said, “I’m sorry, mi tanem.”

“It is me who’s sorry, for not retrieving you personally,” said Tulis. “Otherwise, I would treat you well.”

“And that attitude is why I ask you to stay,” said Rachna. “Now, then, Narati Vasra.”

“Just Narati is fine, uh….”

“Your majesty,” said Tulis.

“R-right. Your majesty. You’re, uh…the first royalty I’ve met personally.”

“And like I said to Tulis before, you can call me Rachna, just not in front of my other subjects,” said Rachna, clicking her lower jaws. “Tulis and I go way back, long before we settled in this forest. She’s as stiff as she is now, even after I attempted to…make her loosen up.”

Narati saw that Tulis seemed flustered. She looked away from the queen in embarrassment, though it was hard to tell since her expression was far too different from a mammal beast person to read. Yet, despite the not-so-subtle gestures, the Fa’ar could immediately tell what Rachna’s idea of ‘making her loosen up’ was.

“And that’s how charming she is. Tease her a bit, and she blushes.”

“D-don’t get the wrong idea!” said Tulis. “I am your general! It’s my job to act as I should!”

“Like I said. Stiff, but malleable,” said Rachna. She then sensed something from within the forest. “It seems we have visitors. I never expected them to come here so early, but I suppose I underestimated your friendship. I half-expected them to deliberate whether they should rescue a Fa’ar or not.”

“Them?” asked Narati.

“The red hair and the elf,” said Rachna, before she clicked her mandible, impressed. “An elf. Now that’s something I did not expect. This might be more interesting than I thought it would be. Tulis, take care of the Fa’ar. I will greet our guests.”

“Wait!” said Narati. “Let me talk to them. They need to know I am safe. I-If they don’t, I’m afraid the deal’s—”

“I am not making a deal, mousey,” said Rachna. “I am giving them a job, and you are the prize. They will not refuse, because the moment they do…well, you get the point.”

“They won’t refuse.”

“Bet on it, mousey.” Rachna chuckled, before jumping away with her appendages.

“Hey. Hey! Just tell me! You’re not making it easier by—”

“I suggest you stop,” said Tulis with a sigh. “She got you and your friends the moment you got here safely. Our queen is very perceptive. She knows she is not dealing with unpredictable madmen, but people who cared. This wouldn’t work if you’re disposable, or that your friend simply did not care for you enough."

“And she knows all this how, exactly?”

Tulis hesitated to answer, causing Narati to narrow his eyes and said, “You did not exactly return to your home when we parted, did you?”

“I, uh…think that you are different. From most Fa’ars, I mean,” said Tulis, all four of her eyes looking away awkwardly. It was easy to tell due to her bright blue eyes. “So I might’ve used my authority as the general to, uh…spy on you?”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Narati let out an exasperated sigh. “And one more thing. Do you know the difference between a mouse and a rat?”

“Of course, we do. That’s just her way of teasing you. Rats aren’t exactly as endearing as mice. Mice are more vulnerable, more, uh….”

“Submissive?”

Tulis sheepishly nodded. Narati groaned in frustration. He expected the Mygaleans to be dangerous, but he never expected them to be dangerous in a different way.

Tulis being an exception did not help.

***

Raine and Aranis entered the forest, unknowingly tripping the wire-thin silk that alerted the scouts hidden within the darkness afforded by the ancient trees. The Forest of Fear was an appropriate name for such an overgrowth. The trees and the vegetation seemed untouched, almost as if it escaped the devastation of the war and lived through for a thousand years. The trees around them could easily be the witness of life before the war, long before the area was to be called Emerald Valley by the people who resettled there after life returned.

The ancient trees, along with the unnatural number of cobwebs, made Raine uneasy. The image of a shrub covered by cobwebs and spiders was something he remembered, only this was far more unnerving. It was a simple difference; that shrub was in the middle of a plain. This was the interior of an undisturbed forest.

“Stay sharp,” said Aranis. “Mygaleans do not like visitors.”

“You don’t expect visitors if cobwebs are your idea of hospitality,” said Raine. “Have you ever met Mygaleans before? What do they look like?”

“Not as spider-like as you imagined them to be,” said Aranis.

“Not if their lower bodies are spiders, they don’t. Just because they have the upper body of a pretty lady does not make them that less terrifying. Sure, someone out there might be into that, or maybe they love the feeling of being terrified and aroused, uncertain whether they should focus on the gal or the spider. Or maybe they just like the way their legs look."

“Raine, you are rambling,” said Aranis. “There is nothing wrong with admitting that you’re scared.”

“I can’t rub them the wrong way, can I? They got our friend as their hostage! One wrong move, and everything’s off the table.”

“You are thinking like a Wastelander. Mygaleans only make a move if they know it benefits them. We are already playing into their hands because of our sympathy towards Narati. And besides, they will not be agitated just because you scream, unless of course, you start shooting at them.”

“Shooting at them! Come on, Aranis! I’m a Knight! I may not look like it, but I was trained on gun handling. I don’t wave my gun around thinking that’ll work!”

“Then you better keep your hands out of your pocket and show some courtesy. Give her your gun."

“Her?”

Aranis made a gesture with her eyes, causing Raine to turn, terrified of what he would see. He predictably yelped, letting out a high-pitched voice he never thought could come out of his mouth.

What he saw was a humanoid, chitin-covered female with the head of a spider chittering at him. She was covered in fur or hair that were rough-looking while also giving her a light brown color. Her eyes were black, with four prominent ones expressive enough for Raine to understand.

“H-hi,” said Raine. “H-how do you do?”

“You can tell us if you’re nervous,” said the Mygalean. “We won’t bite.”

“Y-you’re…not what I expected,” said Raine, looking at the Mygalean’s body from top to bottom.

“Expecting something fatter?” The Mygalean chuckled. “My, my. I thought you should never tell a lady she’s fat. Oh, well. Keep your gun, human. I expect you to behave while in our home. That elf knows us better than you think she is.”

“I presume we are to meet with your queen?” asked Aranis.

“She is waiting for you,” said the Mygalean. “At the end of the road.”

“Thank you,” said Aranis, to which the Mygalean excused herself and disappeared into the trees.

“You handled that pretty well,” commented Raine.

“Courtesy can lead to many good things, and also respect,” said Aranis. “A world lacking such a quality is doomed to repeat its history.”

Appreciating Aranis’s wisdom, Raine nodded in agreement before continuing their walk deeper into the forest, still feeling uneasy, but otherwise calmer, knowing that Narati depended on them. He couldn’t afford to have his fear taking over him, not when his friend needed help.

Those self-assurances were suddenly thrown out of the window upon reaching the deepest part of the forest.

The interior opened into a large space with minimal lighting. The gaps from the trees that let the midday light in were obscured by thick cobwebs turning the ceiling gray. They were used as ways for the Mygaleans to reach the trees easily, evidenced from the way they climbed the cobwebs effortlessly. The sight of them from afar made Raine uneasy.

His attention returned to the center of the room when Aranis tapped his shoulder. He immediately noticed the one Mygalean that dressed differently from the others, namely the red silk dress that looked formal, but tailored to fit the four extra appendages on her back. She was noticeably different from the other Mygaleans. She was covered in black chitin with bright red color on the tips of her arachnoid appendages, her forearms, and her legs. Those red parts on her reminded him of a specific spider with an unfortunate name, one that his older friends once scared him of by convincing him that they were poisonous.

“I am Rachna, the queen of the Mygaleans,” said Rachna.

“Aranis Darion of Shal’Viga,” introduced Aranis while bowing. “I seek permission to enter your realm, your majesty.”

Aranis prodded the stunned Raine to do the same, snapping him out of his surprise. Thankfully, he had greeted a member of the royal family before, so he courteously bowed and said, “Raine Windegarde of Dragon’s Rest. Formerly member of the Knights of Cavilen Kingdom.”

“Ah. A knight,” said Rachna. “And elf, don’t you think it’s too late to ask for permission when you have trespassed?”

“Forgive us, your majesty,” said Aranis, keeping her composure. Rachna waved it off.

“So, then. I think we can skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. You wish to save your Fa’ar friend, correct?”

“Yes, we are,” said Raine. “May we, uh…see if he’s okay?”

“He is well-cared for. You have my words as a queen,” said Rachna. “Although in what condition is something that I would not wish to divulge.”

“What condition?! What are you—”

Raine was stopped by Aranis from jeopardizing the talk when she stood in front of him and said, “My friend here cared for him like his own brother, your majesty. He’s worried.”

“And I can tell, based on his initial reaction. He is the first hostage who did not even hesitate to throttle my general the moment he was freed.”

“Throttle? You mean he choked your general?”

“And as such, he is considered dangerous, and is secure. He is deep within this forest, away from sight. I would not consider such a treatment if he did not do that to one of my trusted subjects.”

“Narati would not do that if you did not provoke him first,” said Raine. “You must’ve triggered his trauma that he acted irrationally. Not…that he isn’t irrational sometimes.”

“Yes. I can see it in him. He’s young and has been through a lot. Do you think I haven’t dealt with his sort before? He is fortunate to be more well-behaved than many who went through the same. Others with similar fate would have not hesitated to claw their way out of this forest and met an unfortunate end.”

“But he’s safe, isn’t he?”

“I gave you my words, human. Or Felinar. Whichever you identify yourself as. Do not make me repeat myself. My patience grew thin with your unnecessary query.”

Raine would not be satisfied until he could see Narati, but he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to provoke the Mygalean queen and ruining their chance in getting Narati back. As Aranis had warned him, she already prepared for everything.

“He will not provoke you anymore, your majesty,” said Aranis, keeping her composure. “It is time we hear your request.”

“It is, indeed. I will be frank. There has been a serious lack of security as far as people were concerned. Don’t you agree, knight?”

“Eh?” asked Raine, confused.

“Exotic, underground slave trade,” said Rachna. “Something that has reduced our population as of late. We want you to look into this and do what’s necessary to stop it.”

“I am aware of slave trading in the Emerald Valley. I made some enemies busting them,” said Raine. “But throughout my career, I have never seen Mygaleans sold in underground slave trades before. I can’t call beast people exotic when there are plenty of them here.”

“Look at the kingdoms that had succumbed to the darkness, and you will see what I mean,” said Rachna. “I suggest you start in the kingdom of Aspaci.”

“Aspaci? Forgive me, your majesty, but I have never been there before. But, uh...there is a reason to believe that they might have the Mygaleans you wish to be freed.”

“Then you know what to do. Destroy their operation and bring back the Mygaleans they enslaved. Their safe return in exchange for the safe release of your Fa’ar friend. A good deal, no?”

“How do we know you are going to honor your part of the bargain?”

Aranis immediately said, “Are there anything else we might need to know, your majesty? Do they have a reason to trust us risking our lives saving them?”

“You have a point, elf. Ellen!”

A Mygalean walked up to Rachna where she whispered something inaudible to her. She nodded and immediately disappeared into the trees. A short while later, she returned with something on her hand, wrapped inside a bundle of spider silk. She gave it to Rachna.

“Show this orb to those you save, and they will trust you,” explained Rachna. “It is something only a Mygalean will appreciate. It is vital that you do not alter it, otherwise you will lose an easy way to convince them.”

Aranis examined the orb before immediately understanding what she meant. “A Lore of the Loom?”

Rachna and some of the other Mygaleans were more surprised by Aranis recognizing the orb’s significance than Aranis’s understanding of what’s on the orb. Rachna immediately said, “You understand it?”

“I am.”

“Then that simplifies things. I never thought that Fa’ar gained the sympathy of a dark elf with knowledge of our culture. What an interesting mouse.”

“Uh…he’s a rat,” said Raine.

Ignoring Raine’s comment, Rachna said, “Finish your task, elf, and he will be returned.”

“I will, your majesty. Excuse us.”

Aranis and Raine bowed, with the human not understanding what was going on. The two left without saying anymore words, leaving the astonished Mygaleans alone.

“I need to have a word with that Fa’ar,” said Rachna. “I never thought he would befriend an elf, let alone one who could read our language. This turns out to be far more interesting than I thought.”

It could just be a coincidence, but it was such a small chance that Rachna found it astonishing, as did the rest of the Mygaleans aware of the significance of an outsider knowing their own history.

The fact that she was a dark elf also made it even more astonishing.